


Three Things Cannot Long Remain Hidden

by Mother_of_Tides (VillainTheBlank)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Air Acolytes vs. Katara, Air Nomad Culture & Customs, Air Nomad Genocide (Avatar), Author's take on cultural custom and traditions within the nations, Being "The Companion of the Avatar" is hard too, Being Fire Lord is Hard, Combination Epistolary/Diary and Dialogue scenes, Cultural Differences, EVERY TAG THAT FOLLOWS THIS ONE MAY BE A SPOILER, F/F, F/M, Ignores Comics & LoK, Katara's Diary, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Katara (Avatar), Post-Episode: s03e18-21 Sozin's Comet, Rating and Warnings Subject to Change, Slow-to-Medium-Burn, Southern Water Tribe Culture & Customs, Southern Water Tribe Genocide (Avatar), The Promise? What Promise? Never Heard of Her
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:13:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25178986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VillainTheBlank/pseuds/Mother_of_Tides
Summary: "Three things cannot long remain hidden: the moon, the sun, and the truth." -A paraphrase of something the Buddha once taught.Katara believed that being with Aang was both her destiny and the right thing for Aang--and consequently, the right thing for the world. Why, then, did it feel like she had to hide part of herself in shadow?An epistolary/diary fic (read: generally short chapters), with occasional dialogue scenes sprinkled in.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Kanna/Pakku (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai & Zuko (Avatar), Original Character/Original Character, Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 20





	1. Entry from Katara's journal, dated 3 AV (103 AG), the 11th week of Summer, Day 6, Western Air Temple

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! This is not my first fic, by a long shot, but it is my first foray into the world of AtLA. 
> 
> I feel like I should clarify a few things here: while I am writing about an Aang (and to some extent a Katara) who isn't done growing up yet, I feel oddly like I need to stress that I don't hate him? It's literally the job of most teenagers/young adults to be kind of insufferable and smug and self-righteous some or most of the time, and they are both still growing up. They're both stupid and dramatic sometimes and still need to figure out that they're not quite right for each other--but neither of them are bad people. Aang is both carrying A Lot(TM) on his shoulders and is surrounded by people who enable some of his more negative tendencies. He's going to have to overcome that, but I promise he's ultimately going to turn out okay. Katara is one of those people who enables his more negative tendencies because she's treating him like he can't handle difficult things, and it's harming them both. She's a child of war, with a lot of loss and trauma to work through. She is also, ultimately, going to turn out okay. Honestly, everyone is going to turn out okay. Not to say there won't be angst (because there will!), but it will turn out all right in the end.
> 
> As I said in the tags, this story completely ignores everything after s3ep21. I don't mess around with the comics and I really didn't like LoK, what I saw of it--sorry, if you did, live and let live, but it's not going to be in here.
> 
> I'm not super-mega-deep into the lore and world building, so where I need something, I'm likely to invent it. If I re-invent something that already exists... okay. 
> 
> I have SO. MANY. FICS. to write, in at least 3-4 different fandoms, that this will update at least once per month, but more than that will depend on how much time I have off from my other duties.
> 
> Still with me? Awesome! Hope you enjoy this.

I’ve never felt so far from home in my entire life. I got a letter today from Dad; he wrote to share the great news that there will be a tribal Tigerseal Hunt this year — for the first time in many,  _ many _ years! As soon as I read it, I rushed off to tell Aang, excited about this step toward restoring my culture. I figured he, of all people, would be able to understand what it feels like to have your culture nearly wiped out, and would share my excitement. I also thought that he would also be understanding that I want to take a few weeks away from him and the Acolytes to attend the hunt. I wonder who I was thinking of, because Aang was…  _ not _ appreciative in the least. He was disgusted at the idea, and actually got angry enough to  _ yell at me about it, _ _IN FRONT OF THE AIR ACOLYTES,_ insisting that my people must not perform the hunt because it’s “cruel” and “savage.”

I was... I _am_ completely devastated by his hostility—to say nothing of the way that he treated me in front of the Acolytes! His childishness would have been more forgivable if he was still 12, or maybe if the implications did not hurt so much. I can't remember that we've ever had a fight this big before. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I yelled back at Aang for condemning us as savages for the horrible crime of not wishing to _starve to death._ Even when I pointed out that _nothing grows at the South Pole,_ he couldn’t admit that he was in the wrong, insisting that the existence of sea prunes was evidence that the Southern Water Tribe didn’t _have_ to eat meat. He won’t even eat sea prunes—not when I make them, not when Gran Gran makes them! We still deserve to live, as much as the Air Nomads do. Just because the Fire Nation wasn't _successful_ in killing us all, like they did the Nomads, doesn't mean they didn't try. The fact that we can go on our sacred hunts again is a _good_ thing, no matter how icky it makes Aang feel.

As if his attitude hadn't been callous enough, then he tried to forbid me from going! As if he were my parent, or as if being the Avatar gives him any power over my life! I don't think I've been that angry since the day I fought Master Pakku, and... to be honest, I don't even remember what I said after that. Yue must have felt the storm in my heart, because out of nowhere, the skies over the temple darkened with a massive thundercloud. I rushed back to our room long enough to grab my things, and used the sudden downpour to bend my way down from the temple.

Now, I’m sitting at a noodle place near the port. I’m taking an overnight transport to the capital, and from there, I’m hoping there will be an airship leaving for the South sometime soon, but... now that I'm writing all of this down, I wonder if what I did was right. Was I maybe a little too hasty in leaving? I was angry, and leaving meant that I didn’t say what was on my mind, which is probably for the best. But, it also means I didn’t give Aang a chance to apologize. I don't even know what I'd say to him. 

If Sokka were here, he'd tell me to eat first, and think later. I'm going to have a bowl of noodles and then send out a couple of messenger hawks:  one with a message to Dad, letting him know I'll be there in time for the Hunt, and another with a message to the Air Temple telling Aang where I am and where I’m headed. By then, my transport should be here, and I should be home in a few days. Hopefully by then, I'll have figured out what to say to Aang. Maybe he'll come meet me on Appa and apologize; even though as an Air Nomad, he is a vegetarian, I'm sure that once he cools down, he'll see that that's not a way the Southern Water Tribe can live. Maybe he'll even come down to the South Pole, although I doubt it; that would probably be too much to ask.

A girl can dream, though.


	2. Entry from Katara's Journal, Dated 3 AV (103 AG), the 11th week of Summer, Day 7, Capital City Port

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short entry in Katara's journal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting two or three tiny chapters today; I want to keep up the conceit of having each entry or scene be a separate chapter. I hope that's not disappointing or irritating to you, readers!

It’s just before dawn, and while I would normally be asleep, the Moon is nearly full, and there's so much on my mind that sleep just wouldn't come. It's a shame, too, because when I presented my ticket to board, I was surprised to be shown to a private room--I had only paid for common passage. When I suggested to the porter that there had been a mistake, and that it would not be right for me to take a room I hadn't paid for, he bowed and addressed me as _Master Katara,_ assuring me that there had been no mistake; it would be dishonorable to allow such a hero of the Great War to sit in such lowly accommodations. 

I almost insisted that I shouldn't be given any special favors, but... part of me was just so gratified at being seen as 'Master Katara, War Hero'--not 'Katara, companion to Avatar Aang' or even 'Katara, friend of Fire Lord Zuko' that I just decided to take the offer. It felt good! I smiled and thanked him with a small bow, and the poor man nearly hit the deck!

The bed here is _really_ comfortable. I just... can't sleep. Part of it is honestly the room I'm in--it was so strange to be recognized and honored on my own, and part of me is ANGRY that it's such a strange feeling to me. Then I couldn't stop thinking about all of the times that it felt like I was taken for granted... even on the day that we found Aang, I remember that I was yelling at Sokka for being a nut-brained sexist jerk who just assumed that women are supposed to take care of everyone. It's not that I would do anything different as far as our adventures went, but, I did my part to save the world. I snatched the Avatar and the Fire Lord back from the jaws of death. Sometimes it hurts that no one seems to think that's important. We're all heroes. We all did our parts. Why is it that we're not all treated that way?

Wow. I can't believe I wrote all of that... it makes me sound childish, doesn't it?

The transport is getting ready to disembark. After breakfast, I should stop by the palace and see if Zuko has time for a quick visit, to let him know about the Hunt; I think he’d be glad to know that we’re rebuilding.

  
  



	3. The Harvest Festival, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara sees Zuko again for the first time in nearly a year.

It wasn't until she approached the palace gates, with their uniformed and armed guards, that Katara began to wonder whether arriving unannounced to see the Fire Lord was the smartest thing she'd ever done. Nevertheless, she was nothing if not persistent and audacious; she marched up to the gates with her chin held high, stopping in front of one of the guards. She offered a Water Tribe salute with a nod of her head.

"Good morning. I'm here to meet with the Fire Lord. Can you tell him I've arrived?"

The guard looked at her with what might have been confusion or suspicion. Her voice was firm, almost as sharp as her movements. 

"Wait here, please."

Katara shrugged as the guard backed up three paces and motioned two others to come nearer. A third took off at a run into the palace. After a brief, inaudible exchange, two of the uniforms approached her while the original guard hung back. The one in front responded with a polite, but shallow, bow, his hands in the salute of the Fire Nation. 

"I apologize for any inconvenience, however, we were not alerted to expect any visitors, let alone one invited by the Fire Lord. I'm sure you'll understand we are honor-bound to take every precaution to ensure the security of the Fire Palace."

"Especially after last time," muttered the guard behind him, who shrank under his commander's resulting death glare.

"Has something happened to Zuko?" Katara blurted, startled.

The man tilted his head, his gaze piercing, as he regarded her skeptically.

"You must be a close friend to the Fire Lord, to address him so casually," he commented, trying to toe the line between curiosity and offense on his Lord's behalf, but instead landing squarely on hostile.

Drawing herself fully upright, Katara's intense blue gaze was as chilly as the South Pole.

"I should hope so. I am Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, friend and ally to Fire Lord Zuko."

The commander's eyes went wide, and he bowed again.

"Forgive me, Master. I did not know, and I apologize for any insult."

"Master Katara, would you kindly refrain from terrorizing my palace guards?" came a familiar, if bemused, voice.

Katara looked up to see Zuko standing at the entryway to the palace, his arms crossed and a look of faux irritation on his face. 

"Fire Lord!" the captain cried. The entire guard contingent whirled and kowtowed, which caused Zuko to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Captain Akio, please get up. I've asked you not to do that."

"My apologies, Fire Lord Zuko," Katara smiled and bowed, knowing it would drive Zuko crazy. "They are... simply zealous in guarding the safety of your palace. I can hardly fault them for doing their best to protect you, can I?"

He bit back a sigh, and waved her in, waiting until the doors were closed to open his arms.

"Welcome to the palace, Katara."

"Thank you, Zuko," she replied, hugging him fiercely. She didn't give a damn what any courtiers thought; she was going to hug her dearest friend as tightly as she chose.

He looked down at her, and his brow furrowed.

"What is it?"

"What is what?" she feigned innocence. 

The look he gave her in response told her he wasn't buying it, but the clearing of a throat behind them necessarily put the discussion off until later. They separated, though Katara remained at Zuko's side.

"A thousand apologies, Fire Lord," a man began, his hands wringing as he bobbed and bowed, "but I shall need at least a half hour to prepare the Avatar's suite for his and Master Katara's stay...?"

"Yes," Zuko waved the man away impatiently, "fine, see to it, Hide." 

Katara couldn't suppress an uncomfortable groan, and of course Zuko noticed. His look became even more querulous. 

"You _did_ come for the Harvest Festival, didn't you? Will Aang be here soon?"

"Oh! Um..." she trailed off, trying to calculate what would be the least embarrassing answer for everyone. "I was just passing through town to wait for a ship to take me to the South Pole, but... I would be honored to accept your invitation." 

Now Zuko's brows jumped incredulously, but Katara demurred.

"Can we talk about it later, Zuko? Please?"

He frowned, then turned to a still-waiting and increasingly agitated Hide.

"Please make sure that Master Katara is given every courtesy due to a master waterbender and the daughter of Chief Hakoda," he ordered, his voice firm, but neutral.

"I will prepare a suitable suite of rooms at once, Fire Lord. Master," Hide bowed once more and scurried away.

Once he had rounded a corner, Zuko offered his arm to his friend.

"I have a few minutes, if you'd care to walk with me?"

She took his arm with a smile that quickly faded. 

“I didn’t mean to cause such an uproar, Zuko. Really, any room would be fine! I don’t want to put anyone out.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, his shoulders seeming to relax slightly now that he was in the presence of an old friend. Master firebender led Master waterbender through an archway into a garden, and down a winding path. It was a long moment before he continued, “Hide’s just upset because of your status; he would consider it a stain on my honor as Fire Lord if Katara, Master Waterbender, Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, and partner of the Avatar, wasn’t given a room suitable to her standing.”

At the word ‘honor,’ she turned to see Zuko’s expression more fully; to her surprise and relief, he was wearing that lopsided smirk she'd only seen on one or two other occasions. She couldn’t help a wince, though, at the mention of Aang. 

“I can only imagine,” she replied, trying to cover her sudden feeling of awkwardness with self-deprecating humor, “that there are others who would see it as a stain on the honor of the Fire Nation that I’m allowed inside the palace at all.”

His face fell, and she mentally cursed herself for being so insensitive. She reached out to touch his arm and reassure him, only to wonder if that was unwelcome, or would be seen as scandalous, given their respective statuses and partners. She let it fall back to her side, and an uncomfortable quiet strangled her for a long moment.

“I’m sorry, Zuko. All I meant was that we’re friends and that’s what matters, not what other people think. I’ll just be glad for a private room.”

Rather than resolving the silence, her comment seemed to intensify it, and her feelings of awkwardness only grew. Zuko's face looked stormy, as if he were at war within himself. As they reached a peak that seemed almost unbearable, he turned suddenly.

“It _does_ matter, Katara. As much as I wish that the end of the war had shown everyone in my nation that my father, and his father, and his father before him, fed the country lies, a hundred years doesn’t just die quietly overnight. I have to lead my people by example.”

She nodded, sobered by the thought of just how much sat on the shoulders of someone not much older than herself. The garden path wound toward an iron door, and they stopped several paces from it, next to a stone bench that sat beside a pond. Ripples became waves that lapped against the shells of the turtleducklings, who quacked merrily as they chased one another into clumps of reeds.

Zuko's voice was quiet, and he looked at her with what appeared to be regret.

“I have a meeting with several of my ministers now.” A tiny jerk of his head indicated the iron door, where a porter stood. “I’m sorry I don’t have more time.”

This time, she reached out for him before she realized it, and smiled as she touched the sleeve of his crimson silk robe. 

“This is one of the things that makes you such a great Fire Lord, Zuko. You have always put your people before yourself. I’ll be fine. I’ll just wait here until my room is ready.”

He hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something more, but only nodded. The gentleness of his face was replaced by a firm, serious look, and he strode to the door. The porter bowed like anything and opened the door, continuing to bow as his lord walked through it. Zuko disappeared from sight, and Katara sat by the pond, her fingers idly rippling and creating small waves that entertained the turtleducklings as they rode and splashed. Something like peace, that wasn't quite, settled on Katara as she set herself to wait.


	4. Second Entry from Katara's Journal, Dated 3 AV (103 AG), the 11th week of Summer, Day 7, Fire Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara settles in to her unexpected accommodations.

It’s so good to see Zuko again! I think that he was happy to see me, though I know he's very busy with his duties... and even though shoved my foot in my mouth once or twice. His chamberlain, a man with the demeanor of a constipated badgermole and a face to match, was thrown into a complete tizzy by my arrival and fussed to Zuko about needing to "find an extra room." As if there's a shortage of rooms in this palace! Then, though, Zuko mentioned the Harvest Festival, which I had no idea was a thing, let alone that it was in a few days. I mentioned that I hadn’t intended to stay, but Zuko insisted, so I naturally accepted, but told him any room would do. At that, the chamberlain looked at me as if I’d said I’d sleep on the floor. (To be honest, the floors here are probably more comfortable than some of the beds in the Air Temples anyway.) He insisted that this was impossible, and Zuko waved him away to make preparations.

It's strange, because Zuko seemed surprised that I didn't know about the festival. I wonder if he just assumes everyone knows, or if Aang forgot to mention it from one of Zuko's letters, because I had no idea. Obviously, we don't grow crops in the Southern Water Tribe, so we don't have that kind of tradition, but given that the timing is pretty close to the Tigerseal Hunt, I guess you could say that we do have a kind of harvest.

We took a brief walk through one of the palace gardens, which was an unexpected treat; it sometimes takes me by surprise, even now, how green and lush the rest of the world can be, and the Fire Nation in particular. I guess when all I knew growing up was snow and ice, and all I knew of the Fire Nation was metal and flame, it's not so shocking that I'd be surprised. Still, I'm a Master bender who has travelled the world and seen more in four years than most people do in a lifetime. One would think that it would all be old to me by now, and I'd no longer see it. Even in the shade, though, it was still HOT, and humid enough that I could have bent water from the air, if I'd wanted. 

I didn't get the chance to tell him about the hunt, but I'm sure we'll see each other at dinner or tea or something, and I'll be here at least until tomorrow.

I need to take a moment to talk about this absurdly luxurious suite that I've been installed in. After our walk, Zuko went to the door of his council chamber, and the porter greeted him with a bow, opened the door with a bow, announced him without rising from that bow, and bowed to the door after he'd closed it -- and then he walked over to me and bowed! How the man’s back must ache at the end of the day! He took me to the chamberlain, who moved with quick, mincing steps and a face of either disappointment or abject terror, showed me to this room that looks like it's been waiting just for me. I refuse to believe they pulled this together in the short time that we were walking in the garden! There's a polar bear dog rug in front of the fireplace, skins decorating the walls, and rich fabrics in icy blues and whites. It took my breath away, and I’ve just been sitting on the sofa to admire it all for a moment before I committed it to ink and paper. Something that has been a bit raw and twisted up inside of me for who knows how long just sort of… released. I hadn’t even realized it until I just felt this enormous sense of relief, and I feel at my ease here, like I no longer have to be anyone but Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. It’s not home, but I’m getting closer.

The chambermaids have brought up hot water for a bath, which I know I could desperately use! I'm certainly not going down to dinner before I've had a scrub... hopefully I can find something for me to wear as well.

**Author's Note:**

> The year numbering system is something that ~~Katara is~~ I am trying out, because it seems like the world would want to define its time by something more positive, now that the war is over. "AV" stands for After Victory.


End file.
